Read this thread. I do a lot of hiring, and will weigh in on why this is definitely A Good Thing to have. Buckle up.
Internet culture creates a lot of false dichotomies, one of them being seen here; that the choice is “hire women that are not qualified” or “interview like you do now, change nothing.” These are both hogwash approaches that don’t look at what’s happening rationally.
We don’t get many women (nor non white/non Asian) candidates. This is true and measurable. Looking at why and why it matters is job one. (Also - I’m purposely ignoring the moral side - the point holds up without it).
There are several reasons, some macro and some micro; lack of acceptance in societal norms (which limits community/mentor ship opps) and unintentional bias in hiring processes are two we can address as Riot. So, if we ignore the (I feel valid) moral issue, why does this matter?
Because we’re then, missing talented or qualified candidates, which is making our design bench more weak or limited. I want awesome designers in my team- and we frequently source from non traditional backgrounds in terms of education and experience to find them.
So then, taking extra time to find qualified candidates who aren’t in the process now is valuable. We’re not going to be hiring unqualified people just because they’re women. We’re not stealing a seat at the interview table from you.
In MY experience, there are a large number of people who think design is something it’s not; the ability to know or be good at a specific game. Having “good ideas.” Critiquing things. And my job every year at GDC is breaking a lot of people’s hearts when we discuss this.
It’s much more likely for you to be mad about this if you’re both 1) unqualified yourself but 2) think you are and are eager to prove it instead of learn. One important aspect of it is to be good at being wrong and changing your mind. See this as an opportunity to practice.
